


Gifts Given

by Harukami



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: M/M, sappy christmas fic time!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 21:07:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1098608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harukami/pseuds/Harukami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clear's first Christmas, and his most recent one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gifts Given

Clear sang to himself as he went on his walk -- nothing with lyrics, no words he'd bothered to put to it, just a lulling rising and falling _Sha-la-la, sha-la-la, sha-la-la-la-la_. Above his head, he spun his umbrella, and he thought that with his loosely draped clothes -- his trailing scarf, the oversized coat -- drifting around him, perhaps he looked like a jellyfish itself. He imagined, the slight distortion of the gas mask's lenses meant he wasn't out in the air, that he wasn't walking through the city streets at all but was drifting through the water. The fantasy was absorbing, and he climbed a trash heap, gazing up at the sky and imagining the white clouds above to be the surface of the water, and himself deep beneath it.

For a few moments, he almost mistook the change as part of his fantasy -- but there was no denying the actual difference as it occurred. His skin was chilled, detecting a -5 degree temperature, and the specks floating around in the air weren't motes of seaweed but something else.

His breath caught, exhaled from his mask in a puff of visible air, and he whirled around, skidding down the garbage heap and running back towards their house. "Grandfather!" He burst in with palpable excitement, and his grandfather looked up from where he was doing a puzzle at the table.

Of course, his grandfather couldn't read his face, but what he picked up from the vibration of Clear's body, of the tone of his voice, made him laugh. "Calm down, Clear," he said fondly, and gestured to the small window. "Is that what's got you worked up?"

"Yes!"

"It's snow," his grandfather said. "It's snowing."

"Wahhh," Clear said, drifting over to the window and gazing out. "Snow..."

His grandfather leaned his chin on his hand, watching Clear. "It's winter now, so we'll get some snow off and on for a while. Soon it will be Christmas, come to think of it. Shall I get you a present?"

"Christmas, Grandfather?"

Another fond laugh, though this one a little sadder. "It's a celebratory time," he said. "Families spend it together, and give each other gifts as a show of gratitude and affection -- lovers spend it together as well. It's honestly a pretty romantic holiday, but I don't have anyone like that to spend it with. But no matter. I have a lovely family in you, Clear, and we'll have a nice Christmas. If I bring home some chicken can you fry it for me?"

Clear turned from the window, feeling his lips turn up into a smile behind his mask. "Of course, Grandfather," he said. "I wonder if I'll have someone like that sometime-?"

His grandfather hesitated then, with an expression like he'd never even imagined the possibility. Clear, thinking that perhaps his grandfather was feeling rejected, hastened to cut in -- "Ah, but I get to spend my Christmas with Grandfather! That's exciting. If we are meant to give gifts, I shall try to find something for you outside as well."

"Thank you, Clear," his grandfather said gravely. And he rose, came over, and put a hand on the back of Clear's head, rustling his hair. "And who knows? You may, someday. There's no reason not to hope for it. It's better than to become a lonely old man like me."

"That won't happen," Clear said, and leaned his head on his grandfather's shoulder. "Anyway, we have each other."

***

Aoba was sitting in the living room, half-asleep with a book in his lap. Tae was out still and wouldn't be out for a while -- she claimed she had business, but what business would take her away on Christmas Eve? Clear thought Tae was probably giving them a little privacy, and would have to thank her later, though knowing her she'd just brush it off regardless.

Clear put the cup of hot cocoa down in front of Aoba, and the clink of the cup snapped Aoba into wakefulness. "Ah -- Clear..."

"If you're tired, you can go back to sleep," Clear said, sliding in next to him with a hand wrapped around his own mug. "But since you had asked for it, I thought that I would bring it out regardless."

"Thanks," Aoba said, a bit hard to make out around his yawn. He rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand. "What time is it, anyway?"

Clear closed his eyes, smiling. "It's only seven, Aoba-san. You're getting tired too early."

"Whose fault do you think that is?" Aoba grumbled, cheeks a bit pink, and picked up his mug. "Hey, why do you wear that old wristwatch anyway? You never need to check it for the time, and it's out of date. If you want to fit in or something, I could get you a coil from Heibon for your Christmas present."

"No," Clear said, "I don't need it, I just want it."

"Sentimental value?" Aoba guessed. "From your grandfather?"

Clear just nodded, sipping his cocoa.

"Ah," Aoba said. "Never mind then. I'll think of something else."

Smiling again, Clear leaned his head on Aoba's shoulder. "Mm. You don't need to get me anything."

"I want to! Sorry I put things off..."

"We have each other," Clear said. "What more could I want?"


End file.
